Hi and welcome to the first full week of our new Blog. I am thrilled to be working with Beliefnet.com to share inspirational, motivational messages that will help make life easier for caregivers.

Every Monday, I’ll share a thought or idea that will help you start your week with a feeling of hope.  Research shows being hopeful can help a great deal to strengthen mental health, including preventing depression.

Having hope may seem easier said that done, especially when the life of a family caregiver can seem so overwhelming and dark at times.

We all have the power to create and maintain hope in our lives—no matter what is going on around us. And, the payoff is nice: people who have higher levels of hope, tend to have higher levels of happiness and success!

This week, let’s allow ourselves to get a little dreamy, shall we?

Allow your imaginative mind to create a picture of your perfect life.  Forget about any of the struggles, obligations, and responsiblities you have in today’s reality.  Wipe all of that away for a few minutes and think about what you would be doing if you could do anything you want, whenever you want.

How and where would you live?  How would you look? What would be in your bank account?

Have fun with this…dream big or go home. Don’t be afraid.  Don’t feel guilty.  Don’t worry about what anyone else might think. Imagine fully, the best possible life you could have—filled only with things that bring you joy.

Got it? Good! That’s your starting point. Where will you go from there?

Now, realize and celebrate that the hope that comes from thinking like this comes along the journey.  If you truly had everything you wanted, you wouldn’t need hope!

Here’s to a journey full of hope this week!

j.